Rollercoaster
by Dannyblue
Summary: Prequel to "Mortal Fear". (A/C)


TITLE: Rollercoaster (1/1)  
  
AUTHOR: Dannyblue  
  
EMAIL: dannyblue2@yahoo.com  
  
FEEDBACK: Yes, please.  
  
ARCHIVE/DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, just drop me a note so I'll know where.  
  
SUMMARY: A prequel, I guess, to "Mortal Fear".  
  
SPOILERS: General ANGEL stuff.  
  
PAIRING: Angel/Cordy.  
  
RATING: PG.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own "Angel" or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".  
  
NOTE: I just can't be normal. So, instead of a sequel, you get a prequel.  
  
  
  
Cordy was crying.  
  
Seized with the panic that always seized him when something was wrong with Cordelia, Angel hurried across the TV room.  
  
"Cordy! What's wrong?" Sinking to his knees, he grabbed her right hand. "Are you in pain? Is it the baby?"  
  
Left hand pressed to her mouth—which did nothing to smother her sobs—she shook her head vigorously.  
  
Starting to feel helpless (he hated that feeling) Angel squeezed her hand. "Come on, baby," he said. "Talk to me."  
  
"Oh, Angel," she kind of…squeaked. "There was this old l-lady. And she was so lonely." Just the thought made her weep a little harder. "Then, the w- woman across the street. And the card. And they hugged. It was so…beautiful." The last came out in a squeak as she buried her face in her hands. This time, her cries seemed to be pulled from the depths of her soul.  
  
Shaking his head in confusion, Angel looked around the room for some sign of what had caused Cordy's distress. Only then did he see his son. Connor was huddled in a shadowy corner. Staring at his stepmother with a look of shocked horror.  
  
Angel didn't blame him. Cordy wasn't a crier. Sure, her eyes got moist. Glistened with unshed tears (which, in Angel's opinion, made her hazel eyes look like precious jewels). But his Cordy never sobbed.  
  
"Connor," he said to the teen. "What happened here?"  
  
"I don't know," he said. "She was watching television. I came in to see if she was okay. Then, a commercial for something called Hallmark started, and…"  
  
Just then, the sounds of another commercial filled the room.  
  
"When the ones you love are far away…" the announcer began.  
  
"Oh, Angel!" Cordy wailed. Then, despite the swollen belly that had made it hard for her to get around the last few weeks, she threw herself into his arms.  
  
Angel was glad he didn't need to breath. The way her arms were clasped around his neck, he wouldn't have been able to.  
  
"It's important to keep in touch…" the announcer continued.  
  
"It's okay, baby," Angel said, rubbing her back as she cried her hormonal heart out.  
  
____________________  
  
Angel was sleeping deeply, peacefully. Dreams filled with visions of him, Cordy and Connor…and a beautiful little girl with black hair and hazel eyes. The four of them were picnicking in the park. Under a huge shade tree, so that he wouldn't…  
  
That's when something hit him in the head.  
  
Angel woke with a start. Disoriented, he looked around the room.  
  
The lamp was on.  
  
Cordy was sitting up. Glaring at him.  
  
"Well," she said. "I'm so happy you aren't losing sleep. I, however, can't. Not only is your daughter kicking me from the inside, she's also sitting on my *bladder*."  
  
"Cordy?" Still disoriented, and trying to rub the sleep from his eyes, he turned over to face her. "Are you okay?" Then, he felt the throbbing on the side of her head. "Did you just hit me?"  
  
"Pfft!" was her response. She folded her hands atop the hill that was her stomach. "I want ice cream. Fudge brownie walnut."  
  
Angel's mind did a quick inventory of the various ice-cream flavors that now populated their freezer. "I don't think we have that one, Cordy."  
  
"Of *course* we don't, dumb ass," she said. As if he'd just said the stupidest thing in the world. "You're going to get your ass out of this bed and go get some."  
  
"I am?" he glanced at the clock. "But it's…"  
  
"You're a creature of the night, Angel?" she interrupted. "What do you care if it's four in the morning?"  
  
Actually, he did care. Thanks to his human family, staying awake all day and sleeping at night was now the norm for him.  
  
But the look on Cordy's face told him it wouldn't be smart to remind her of that fact.  
  
So, he staggered out of bed and got dressed…all under the wintry glare of his pregnant wife.  
  
Before he went out the door, he paused to kiss her on the cheek. "Be right back."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," she said. Then, as if he was already gone, she picked the book of baby names up off of the nightstand.  
  
Sighing, he went out into the hall.  
  
Trust Connor, with his vampire-like hearing, to have known something was going on.  
  
"Dad?" the teen asked, leaning out his bedroom door. "Where are you going?"  
  
Angel's only response was a soft, unhappy growl.  
  
____________________  
  
Upon his return to the hotel, Angel put off going up to his and Cordy's room for as long as possible. All he could think was, what if Cordy had fallen asleep.  
  
If she was asleep, and he didn't wake her up so she could eat her ice- cream, she'd be mad.  
  
If she was asleep, and he *did* wake her up so she could eat her ice-cream, she'd be mad.  
  
He supposed it depended on when he wanted to face an angry Cordy. Now, or later.  
  
Sighing, he prepared a bowl of fudge brownie walnut ice-cream and carried it up the stairs.  
  
Cordy *wasn't* asleep. In fact, as he entered the room, she graced him with the sweetest, most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.  
  
"Angel. I can't believe you went all the way to the store to get ice cream for me at"—she glanced at the clock—"five in the morning." Her eyes glistened like two hazel jewels. "That is so sweet."  
  
Perplexed, Angel paused in the doorway, the bowl of ice-cream held before him like a protective shield. Wearily, he eyed Cordelia.  
  
This version of Cordelia just didn't gel with the one who had—he was pretty sure—knocked him upside the head while he was sleeping.  
  
"Put that down and come here," she said, nodding towards the bowl. She held her arms out to him.  
  
Angel frowned. "But your ice-cream…"  
  
"Oh, I don't care about that," she said, as if he was being too silly for words. "I want to snuggle."  
  
The vampire supposed he should have been mad. After all, she'd basically kicked him out of bed to go get the ice-cream in the first place.  
  
On the other hand, he was just happy to see *her* happy.  
  
And not mad with *him*.  
  
Putting the bowl on the dresser, Angel shucked off his clothes and climbed into bed.  
  
As he took his wife into his arms, Angel thought—for the hundredth time—how much he couldn't wait for this baby to be born.  
  
He didn't know how much longer he could take this rollercoaster ride.  
  
  
  
THE END 


End file.
